Argyle stocking with cushion high splice and method



July 30, 1957 E. R. BRIDGES 2,800,782

ARGYLE STOCKING WITH CUSHION HIGH SPLICE AND METHOD Filed July 27. 195s2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C6, aan du.; Y*

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2,800,782 ARGYLE STOCKING WITH CUSHION HIGH SPLICE AND METHOD Ervin R.Bridges, Connellys Springs, N. C., assignor to Waldensian Hosiery Mills,Incorporated, Valdese, N. C., a corporation of North CarolinaApplication July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,397 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-179)This invention relates to hosiery and more especially to Argyle hosieryof a type such as are knit on so-called Banner Solid Color knittingmachines of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,217,022, datedOctober 8, 1940, and issued to Robert H. Lawson et al.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cushion or terry loophigh splice above the heel of a stocking of the type having variegatedrectilinear ortriangular areas in the leg thereof, the junctures ofwhich extend at an angle relative to the wales and courses of -thefabric, and wherein at least the upper portion of the cushion highsplice is formed in' courses in which portions of said rectilinear ortriangular areas are formed.

As is well known in the art, Argyle or solid color diamond-shapedpattern areas of a stocking are knitted on a machine of the characterabove described by reciprocation of the needle cylinder whereinalternate courses are formed with movement of the needle cylinder in onedirection and intervening courses between said alternate courses areformed with movement of the needle cylinder in the opposite direction.ln so doing, the knitting instrumentalities form circularly arrangedvariegated triangular or diamond-shaped areas wherein each area isknitted from a yarn independently of the yarns employed in knittingAadjacent areas, the yarns being interknitted at the juncture of adjacentareas.

Now, it is another object of this invention to provide a stocking of thecharacter described having a reinforced portion formed of terry loops inthe body of the stocking; that is, a reinforced portion which is presentina given group of successive courses which group of courses alsoembraces a portion of the solid color pattern area of the stocking. x

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide areinforced high vsplice area of terry loops above the heel pocket of astocking which high splice area isk present in the same courses in whichportions of a solid color pattern area are knitted, which solid colorpattern area includes a plurality of circularly arranged areas whosejunctures extend at an angle relative to the wales and courses of theknitted fabric and each area of which is knitted from a yarn independentofthe other yarns and the yarns of adjacent areas being interknitted attheir junctures to tie adjacent areas together.

Although the present invention is concerned primarily with thereinforced high splice, it is preferable that the reinforced high spliceis formed as an extension to the reinforced cushion area formed in thetoe, sole and heel of the stocking so that substantially all of thecushion portions of the stocking having the terry loops formed therein,when worn, are disposed within the shoe ofthe wearer, but wherein thehigh splice will reinforce the stocking at the point of greatest weardue to the rubbing of the counter of the shoe when the stocking is beingworn.

lt is still another object of this invention to provide a circularlyknit stocking having a top, heel pocket, sole, toe pocket and/ or highsplice formed with terry loops in combination with a leg knitted withreciprocatory courses and having a plurality of circularly arrangedareas therein, each knitted from a separate yarn, and proximal edges ofadjacent areas being interknitted.

nited States Patent O W 2,800,782 Patented July 30, 1957 ECC Some of theobjects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appearas the description proceeds, wheny taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which* Figure l is a side elevation of anArgyle sock or mens half hose turned inside out showing the conventionaltype of cushion sole, heel and toe and the improved cushion high splicearea formed in courses in which portions of the diamond pattern areasare formed;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged elevation of the portion of the fabricdefined in broken lines and indicated at 2 in Figure l, and showing aportion of the terry loop or cushion fabric as knitted adjacent thejunctures of adjacent solid color triangularly knit areas;

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged elevation of a piece of fabric similar tothe lower left-hand portion of Figure 2, but which differs from Figure 2in that the terry loops are formed from one ply tof a multi-ply yarn orone of a pair of yarns knitted in plating relation with another ply ofthe multi-ply yarn or the other of said pair of yarns and wherein normalloops are formed from both of the plies of the multi-ply yarn or bothyarns in the adjacent design area and in the same courses in which theterry loops are formed.

In Figure l, only one side of a mans half hose or stocking isillustrated and it is to be understood that the opposite side of thestocking is identical to that shown in Figure l, except being oppositehand. The stocking in Figure l includes a cushion top 10 which is knitin the usual manner of rotary knitting, but wherein terry loops areformed in plating relation with a backing yarn and an elastic yarn islaid in the courses thereof in the usual manner. The leg of the stockingis broadly designated at 1l and may be of the type which is knit incircular courses and wherein each circular course is knit with rotationof the needle cylinder in rst one direction and then the other, that is,by reciprocatory knitting. The leg 11 may also be termed as theornamental design or pattern area of the stocking. The 4stocking inFigure l also includes a foot broadly designated at 12 -and' including aplain instep- 13 and a cushion sole 14 which are formed in continuouscircular courses by rotary knitting. The usual heel pocket 1S and toepocket 16 are formed in the usual manner of reciprocatory knitting andwherein terry loops of substantial length are formed in plating relationwith the normal loops formed from the body or backing yarn.

Now, an important feature of the present invention is embodied in a highsplice area 20 formed above the heel pocket 15 wherein a reinforcingyarn is knitted in plating relation with the backing or body yarnemployed in knitting contiguous triangular or gusset areas and whereinthe loops formed from the reinforcing yarn are disposed in the samecourses in which portions of the ornamental triangular or diamond-shapedareas are formed as will be more fully described hereinafter. Since thepresent invention is concerned with the provision of a cushion areathroughout the sole 14 of the foot 12, the heel and toe pockets 15 and16 and, particularly, in the high splice area 20, it is, of course,preferable that the reinforcing yarn is formed in elongated or terryloops.

The leg 11 of the stocking includes an upper gusset 21 at each sidethereof and a diamond-shaped or rectilinear intermediate area 22 at eachside thereof. Disposed between the proximal edges of the areas 21 and 22is a pair of upper diamond-shaped areas 24 and 25 which are shown asbeing triangular in Figure l, since only half of the stocking isillustrated, although it is to be understood that the remaining halvesof the diamond-shaped areas 24 and 25 are disposed on the opposite sideof the stocking from that shown. Disposed beneath the frontdiamondshaped area 24 is a lower diamond-shaped area 26 which is alsodisposed below the front halves of the diamondshaped areas 22 onopposite sides of the stocking.

A gusset 27 is formed at the rear of the stocking on opposite sidesthereof, which is disposed in vertical alinement with the upperdiamond-shaped area 25 and which is also disposed beneath the rear halfof each of the intermediate diamond-shaped areas 22. Disposed beneaththe diamond-shaped area 26 at each side of the stocking is a gusset 30whose rearmost edge extends wale wise at its juncture with thecorresponding front edge of the high splice area 20 and the juncture ofthe gusset 30 on each side of the stocking in Figure 1 with the loweredge Vof the diamond-shaped area 26 extends at an angle relative to thewales and courses of the fabric. y

Of course, each of the lareas 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 30 may beknitted from a separate yarn, wherein each yarn is of a dilferent colorand, by way of illustration,

the areas 21, 22 and 30 are knitted from a body yarn L which may be ofthe same color as the top and the instep13. It is to be assumed that theareas 21, 22 and 30 are knitted from a white yarn in this instance. Theareas 24 and 27 are shown as being knit from a green yarn and the areas25 and 26 are shown as being knit from a pink or red yarn. The terryloop yarn employed in'kni-tting the areas 14, 15, 16 and 20 may be ofany desired color or shade and is preferably the same color or shade asthe body yarn over which it is plated. The various colors of yarn are`above described by way of illustration only and not to be construed asa limitation, since the triangular or diamondV areas may be of anydesired contrasting or matching shades or colors. Also the pattern inthe leg may include areas of any size or shape, such as square,rectangular or oblong.

Now, the manner in which the various diamond-shaped or gusset areas areinterknitted at their junctures is illustrated in Figure 2 in order toclarify the manner in which a reinforcing yarn is knitted in platingrelation with one of the yarns employed in knitting the ornamental areaor leg 11. Thus, with the exception of the reinforced area, the fabricillustrated in Figure 2 is knitted in substantially the same manner asthat disclosed in said Patent No. 2,217,022 and wherein the fabric isknitted by reciprocation of the needle cylinder, the knittingprogressing from top to bottom in Figure 2 and the direction in whichthe courses are knitted being marked by arrows.

For purposes of description, the courses shown in Figure 2 are indicatedat C1 to C11, inclusive, and the wales shown are indicated at W1 to W10,inclusive. It will be noted that, as the reciprocatory courses areknitted, the number of stitches formed from the yarn in area 22 arereduced from course to course and the number of Vsti-tches formed fromthe yarns in areas 26 and 27 are gradually increased relative torespective given wales and yarns employed in knitting the adjacent areas22, 26 and 27 are interknitted at their junctures.

In course C5, the yarns from all of the areas 22, 26, 27 and 30 areinterknitted at their junctures forming the apex of the gusset 30 andreciprocatory knitting continues throughout the knitting of the highsplice area and the heel pocket 15. Of course, commencing with thecourse C8, a yarn change is made only at the front or right-hand edge ofarea 30. On the other hand, a yarn change is made on both sides ofgusset area 30 in knit-ting the courses C6 'and C7. However, the backingyarn or body yarn employed in knitting the gusset 30 is also employed informing stitches entirely around the back half of the stocking and informing a gusset similar to the gusset 30 on the opposite side of thestocking in Figure .1.

Now, in knitting substantially the back half of the stocking to form thehigh splice area, it will be noted that an additional, reinforcing orcushion yarn is knitted in plating relation with the backing yarnemployed in knitting the area 30 and, due to the reciprocatory mannerinwhich the courses C8, C9, C10 andCll are formed, the; reinforcing orcushion yarn extends'from one course to the 4 next succeeding coursewithout the necessity of floating the reinforcing or cushion yarn. Forexample, it will be observed in Figure 2 that the reinforcing or cushionyarn passes downwardly from course C8 in wale W5 and is knitted in thesubsequent course C9 as the knitting progresses from right to left. Thesame thingroccurs upon the termination of knitting with the cushion yarnor reinforcing yarn in course C10, in that the reinforcing or cushionyarn extends downwardly in the wale W5 and is knitted in course C11 asknitting subsequently progresses from right to left.

Of course, after the heel pocket has been formed, it is evident that thereinforcing yarn may be iloated across the instep of said stocking andsubsequently cutaway although it is preferablethat the reinforcing yarnbe knitted in plating relation with the backing yarn or body yarnthroughout the knitting of both the instep 13 and the sole 14 duringrotary knitting. In the latter instance, it is evident that terry loopswould only be formed from the reinforcing yarn in the sole of thestocking and normal loops would be formed from both the reinforcing yarnand the backing yarn in the instep of the stocking. Y

Although a distinct form of loop construction is illus'tr'ated at thejunctures of the adjacent diamond-shaped or gusset-shaped areas inFigure 2, it is to be distinctly understood that these junctures may beinterknittedin any desired manner. As a matter of fact, each of theornamental areas 24, 25, 26 and 27 may be formed by plating a differentcolored facing yarn over a common backing yarn from which the areas 21,22, 30 and 13 may be formed. Of course, in the latter instance, all ofthe courses inthe leg, instep 13 and sole 14 may be formed byconventional rotary knitting and in which instance an additionalreinforcing yarn would merely be added at the high splice area 20 andwherein elongated or terry loops would be formed from this additionalreinforcing yarn to produce the cushion effect.

Although the various areas knitted from separate yarns in the leg 11 areshown as being triangular or diamondshaped it is to be understood thatsuch areas may be of any desired shape or size such as oblong,rectangular, square etc., and the junctures of such areas may extendwalewise, rather than at an angle, with the high splice area extendinginto the zone in which adjacent ornamental areas knitted from separateyarns, but interknitted at their junctures, are disposed. v

In Figure 3, a ymodified form of terry loop fabric is illustrated whichis similar to the left-hand lower portion of Figure 2 and wherein thecourses and wales shown in Figure 3 shall bear the same referencecharacters as the corresponding courses and wales shown in Figure 2,with the prime notation added.

It is well known that each of the design areas in the leg or ornamentalportion 11 of the stocking may be knitted from a separate multi-ply yarnand wherein each multi-ply yarn may include two or more separate strandsor plies. The area` 30 in Figure 3 is shown knitted from such almulti-ply yarn' which, in this instance, includes two strands or plies,one strand of which is termed as a terry yarn Y and the other strand ofwhich is termed as a body yarn or backing yarn B. It will be noted thatthe stitches formed from the two plies Y and B in the needle wales W5',W6 and W7' and in the sinker wales therebetween are each ofsubstantially the same size in all the courses shown in Figure 3, sothat the area 30 shown inFigure 1 between the areas 26 and 27 andbetween the areas 26 and 20 are in the form of normal or regularly-knitstitches. This also applies to the instep 13. VOnY the other hand, inknitting the portions of the courses C8', C9 and,C10 Vin lthewales W2,W3', and W4', to form the high splice area 20, for example, the terryyarn or ply Y is knit in the form of relatively large stitches ascompared to the corresponding stitches formed from the backing yarn orply B so as to form terry loops from the yarn Y in the portions of thecourses C8', C9' and C10' and in the sinker wales between the needlewales W2', W3', W4' and W5 embraced by the area j 20 of Figure l.

lt is thus seen that, although the courses in the leg 11 are formed byreciprocatory knitting, the reinforced, high splice area or cushion areamay be formed in the same courses in which portions of adjacentornamental areas are formed from separate yarns and wherein the terryloops may be formed either from one or more of the plies of a multi-plyyarn employed in knitting normal stitches in one or more adjacentornamental areas, or they may be formed from one of a pair ofsimultaneouslyknit yarns, or they may be formed from an entirelyseparate reinforcing yarn knitted in plating relation with one or moreof the yarns employed in the separate ornamental design areas asheretofore described with respect to Figure 2.

This is also true of the instep 13 and the sole 14; that is, the instep13 and sole 14 may both be knitted from a terry yarn knitted in platingrelation with a backing yarn and wherein normal stitches are formed fromboth the yarns in the instep area and terry loops, of greater lengththan the normal loops, are formed from the terry yarn plated with thebacking yarn in the sole area 14. On the other hand, the instep 13 andsole 14 may be knitted by continuous circular courses formed from a bodyyarn or backing yarn with terry loops formed from an additional yarnknitted in plating relation with the backing yarn in the sole area 14only and being floated through the instep. Of course, the floats thusformed would be cutaway after the stocking is knitted.

To my knowledge it has not been possible heretofore to produce astocking having a leg knitted with reciprocatory courses, in portions ofwhich courses terry loops or stitches could be formed and wherein a top,sole, heel pocket and toe pocket could be provided with terry stitchesor loops. As a matter of fact, the inclusion of terry loops in anyportion of a tubular knit fabric having portions thereof knitted withreciprocatory circular courses, whether such terry loops are formed inthe reciprocatory courses or in adjacent portions of the tubular fabricknitted by circular courses, is believed to be new in the art andtherein resides the nucleus of my invention.

In the drawings and speciiication there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although speciiic terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. In a stocking having a leg, a heel pocket, a foot and a toe pocket,said leg having a plurality of different colored rectilinear areasthereon whose junctures extend at an angle relative to the wales andcourses of the knitted fabric and wherein adjacent areas are knit fromseparate yarns and separate yarns in adjacent areas being interknittedat their junctures; the combination of a high splice area knitted abovesaid heel pocket and extending into the leg of the stocking so that atleast its upper portion is disposed in the same courses in whichportions of said different colored areas are disposed.

2. In a stocking having a leg knitted from a plurality of differentcolored yarns by reciprocatory knitting and wherein each of said yarnsforms an area and the junctures of adjacent areas extend at an anglerelative to the wales and courses of the knitted fabric; the combinationof a high splice area formed from a reinforcing yarn knitted in platingrelation with only one of said different colored yarns in the form ofterry loops and said reinforcing yarn being knitted in some of thecourses in which at least two of said different colored yarns areknitted.

3. In a tubular knit stocking having a foot provided with a cushionsole, a cushion toe, a cushion heel and a leg knitted from a pluralityof different colored yarns by reciprocatory knitting and wherein each ofsaid yarns forms an area and the junctures of adjacent areas extendingat an angle relative to the wales and courses of the knitted fabric; thecombination of a high splice area formed contiguous to and above theheel from a reinforcing yarn knitted in plating relation with at leastone of said dilferent colored yarns in the form of terry loops and saidreinforcing yarn being knitted in some of the courses in which at leasttwo of said different colored yarns are knitted.

4. A method of knitting in reciprocatory work including the steps ofknitting a plurality of different colored yarns wherein each yarn isknitted in a partial course only, and varying the number of stitchesformed from each of the yarns relative to a given wale in eachsuccessive course while forming terry loops from an additionalreinforcing yarn in some of said partial courses.

5. A method of knitting in reciprocatory work including the steps ofknitting a plurality of successive courses while forming parts of eachsuccessive course from a plurality of different colored yarns, each yarnknitting in a partial course only, varying the numberof stitches formedfrom each of said yarns from course to course and forming terry loopsfrom an additional yarn knitted in plating relation with one of saiddifferent colored yarns in an additional plurality of successive courseswhile varying the number of stitches formed from adjacent dilferentcolored yarns from course to course.

6. A method of knitting in reciprocatory work including the steps ofknitting a plurality of successive courses while forming parts of eachsuccessive course from a plurality of different yarns, each yarnknitting in a partial course only, varying the number of stitches formedfrom each of said yarns from course to course and forming terry loopsfrom an additional yarn knitted in plating relation with one of saiddifferent yarns in an additional plurality of successive courses whilevarying the number of stitches formed from adjacent different yarns fromcourse to course.

7. The method of knitting a stocking having a leg, a heel pocket, aninstep, a sole and a toe pocket which includes the steps of forming aplurality of rectilinear areas in the leg of the stocking each from aseparate yarn and whose junctures extend at an angle relative to thewales and courses of the knitted fabric, thereafter forming a highsplice area from an additional yarn knitted in plating relation withanother yarn in a terry loop formation in the lower portion of the legwhile forming additional areas each from a separate yarn in the samecourses whose junctures extend at an angle relative to the wales andcourses of the knitted fabric and thereafter successively knitting theheel pocket, the instep and the foot and the toe pocket from a body yarnwhile forming terry loops from said additional yarn in the heel pocket,the sole and the toe pocket.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,524,834 Martin Feb. 3, 1925 1,805,607 Houseman May 19, 1931 2,002,888Gastrich May 28, 1935 2,012,607 Houseman Aug. 27, 1935 2,112,610 ShermanMar. 29, 1938 2,171,452 McAdams Aug. 29, 1939 2,217,022 Lawson et al.Oct. 8, 1940 2,302,211 Green Nov. 7, 1942 2,370,450 Clark Feb. 27, 19452,375,684 Page May 8, 1945 2,400,637 Fregeolle May 21, 1946 2,667,774Allen Feb. 2, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Serial No. 224,546, Nebel (A. P.C.), published May 4, 1943 (abandoned).

